The Basketball Podcast: EP444 with Gabo Loaiza on Seeing the Game

Gabo Loaiza, head coach of Jämtland Basket, shares how he builds his teams around a shared way of seeing the game. That common picture comes from video work and clear communication so players can decide for themselves. Identity starts with energy and effort, then talent, then tactics chosen to multiply both. His game model is fast and risk-taking. He develops Plan A instead of inventing Plan B for every opponent, trusting the team’s strengths even in playoffs. Players must win individual battles and show “blind generosity”—unseen effort that helps teammates. Passing and constant movement sit at the core.

Development is a team job. Mirror pairings of pros and youth players set the same standard, while “tactification” drills put skills in unpredictable, game-like settings. Drawing on his psychology background, Loaiza focuses on process over results and on helping both coaches and players manage fear of failure.

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Gabo Loaiza Quotes:

“It felt good to become the Coach of the Year, sbecause everyone, we have our own ego. But at the end of the day, it’s a team sport, and that award shows the most how important is the team. Because the coaches without the right players, the right personalities, the talent they have, doesn’t matter our ideas or how much we know or how many hours we put, at the end of the day, everything is down to the players.”

“I think now more and more youth coaches are trying to make the kids or make the players be the main thing of the process because, traditionally, the players only could learn what the coaches gave to them. I try to put the center of the process on the players. Everything I do is to try to help them and to try to make them play or help them to play better together.”

“I always ask them, how do you want to be seen? And we say, first it’s about the energy and  effort, then it’s the talent, and the last part is the tactics. We try to build the identity and everyone under the same umbrella.”

“We try to involve the players and have them talk more in the video [sessions]. So it’s not just a theoretical lesson of the coach. I think it has to be an interaction because at the end of the day, the players are the ones who need to express on the court and feel comfortable on the court.”

“Our main goal is that the players can make decisions. But for that, they need to play in practice and try things. I think nowadays, probably the two most important things are the passing capacity and the overall movement offensively.”

“The game is not perfect and the players need to react to those scenarios. And when we start doing those things, for some players, it’s different or they are not used to it. But at the end of the day, we always say this to the players, ‘The best players are going to have the ball more than the others.’ Even when we try to play fast, even when we try to take risks . . we know who needs to take more shots. We also make the team participate on that process of building our identity.”

“I love the game and everything I do is to try to learn more about the game. But I truly believe that by playing good basketball, fun basketball, you will usually get closer to winning. If the players feel comfortable, if the players make decisions, then you can get closer to winning.”

“The individual development is always there because I think that it’s important to create the platform to make them feel like we are helping them to take the next step because the next step is also better contracts in the future or a bigger role in the future. [We want to] make them feel like we really care about them.”

“Some teams who play 5-on-5 all the time, set plays, they can win. Some teams who want to run a lot, they can win or lose. I think the most important thing is that the players buy into your idea of the identity you want to build so they feel really comfortable with this tempo and this pace and these risks.”

“Finding that balance for me is the most difficult part. During the season, you need to use their strengths or who they are now to win on Saturday or to win tomorrow. But you cannot forget, as a coach, who they can be in the future because that is a part of a commitment that you have with the player to help them.”

“If you are part of a club, you need to try to help the club in the same way they try to help you. And we are the role models for the ones who are coming up.”

“I want to keep developing. If I just work with the guards, then I don’t try to think of more ideas for the bigs and then it can be more difficult to help the bigs . . I believe that this individual work should be more connected . . we need to provide context.”

“If I have in my players in groups, I have 2 bigs and 2 guards. We can play pick-and-roll situations in this individual work, different kind of defense, and then different reads, different kind of passes, different kind of rotations, of continuations. So we try in that way to also develop individually as coaches, to challenge ourselves a bit more, because then you have to be more creative every day.”

“Working with youth, it can be very nice because, first of all, you are helping them to love the game. Love the game and understand the game. When you love the game, you work harder and usually you reach your potential.”

“At the end of the day, the best player is the one who is going to shoot the most. We need to find him, especially in professional level. But when you run, when you give freedom through some concepts, then you create good shots. And a good shot is a good shot for most of the players. So, then they feel like they are part of the team. In some styles where you play just set plays all the time, to end up with a certain advantage, you are not giving the freedom to the players to feel they can break the play, that they can see an advantage and can use it.”

“We are getting to know each other, they [the players] are getting to know each other more. I try to put new things in every year. So, for the players who have been with us already, there are new things and sometimes it’s different or totally opposite than what we were saying last season. It’s fun. And I think we need to enjoy the process.”